Originally Posted by EthiomonarchistCrown Prince Vajiralongkorn has announced that he will leave Thailand and go abroad on personal business, and will not be back for another month.

Actually, the article says,

Quote:

Thailand's Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn will fly overseas on Friday night and return home next month

,which could be anytime after Monday, since Tuesday is 'next month'.__________________'Monarchy can easily be ‘debunked;' but watch the faces, mark the accents of the debunkers. These are the men whose tap-root in Eden has been cut: whom no rumour of the polyphony, the dance, can reach - men to whom pebbles laid in a row are more beautiful than an arch. Yet even if they desire equality, they cannot reach it. Where men are forbidden to honour a king they honour millionaires, athletes or film-stars instead: even famous prostitutes or gangsters. For spiritual nature, like bodily nature, will be served; deny it food and it will gobble poison.' C.S. Lewis God save Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, Canada and Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, etc.! Vive le Très haut, très puissant et très excellent Prince, Louis XX, Par la grâce de Dieu, Roi de France et de Navarre, Roi Très-chrétien!

That is a very odd way of saying that though, since they could have then said "next week" or "in two weeks". My impression is that this is going to be more than just a week or two. He could very validly be going to tie up loose ends in Germany where he has been living for the last few years, but why the vagueness during this time of transition? It is very unsettling.__________________The Lion of Judah hath prevailed.

Ethiopia stretches her hands unto God (Quote from Psalm 68 which served as the Imperial Motto of the Ethiopian Empire)

"God and history shall remember your judgment." (Quote from Emperor Haile Selassie I's speech to the League of Nations to plead for assistance against the Italian Invasion, 1936.)

Ah at last a little clarity. The government is preparing for the Crown Prince to assume the throne on December 1st. It's a little far out for my taste, and the phrase "But this timeframe also depends on His Royal Highness" is a little concerning, but the defined timetable goes a long way in reassuring everyone that this is what is intended to happen. Sadly I think that with this back an forth, his enthronement will now be controlled largely by the military's agenda and may result in the military taking the lead, making the monarch a silent figurehead. Future monarchs will have far less influence in power circles than the late King it seems.

Elections are due to be held next year and we will see which course this sets Thailand on, especially as "loyal" parties are likely to win even if it will be (as I believe it will be anyway) a free and fair election. But the military is just one of the pillars of established power in Thailand, the other two being the Bangkok bourgeois and the aristocracy, and the Buddhist clergy. All of these groups are keen to ensure an orderly transition and the status quo preserved not only politically, but also socially and economically. That is the essence of a small-c "conservatism" after all.

Elections in Thailand are hardly ever "free and fair". In recent years ex-Prime Minister Taksin and his "Red Shirt" faction have routinely bought their way to power. The royalist "Yellow Shirt" side isn't much better. Vote buying, vote rigging, intimidation, these all play a much bigger and much more blatant role in Thailand than in other places. Thank goodness they have a stable monarchy! The military have had to step in time and again with coups to restore order and to tamp down on the rampant corruption in the electoral system, and I don't see this changing any time soon.

In significant news, it appears Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn has returned to Thailand from Bavaria. Hopefully they will put all the speculation to rest by declaring him king asap.

In a step to ensure a smooth transition and eliminate any doubt as to the loyalty of the people and the military to the Chakri Dynasty, the ruling Junta has ordered a mass loyalty ceremony accross Thailand in the lead-up to the proclamation of the new King. Lawmakers have been ordered not to leave the country in the coming weeks to ensure that they are all present for the proclamation of Crown Prince Vajiiralongkorn as King of Thailand, currently expected to take place on December 1st. However, it seems that date is not set in stone as of yet.

Thai Parliament today formally proclaimed Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn as King of Thailand, Rama X. The proclamation issued in the form of an invitation to assume the throne will be formally accepted by King Vajiralongkorn in the next few days, making his accession complete.

The Regent, the Prime Minister and other members of the ruling military Junta, approach the new King of Thailand as he accepts the throne in a ceremony earlier today.

It was also announced that Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, now Queen Mother of Thailand, has returned home to the Royal Palace yesteray after having been hospitalized for a few months suffering from inflamation of the lungs and other ailments. Her Majesty, once one of the worlds most stunningly beautiful royal women (at least in my opinion), has been in very frail health in recent years. She is 84.

Yes, even though I have to agree that it does look silly it is entirely the custom. Probably more than that, actually; to do otherwise would not only cause shock but would undoubtedly be interpreted as disrespect to the King. And as we all know, in Thailand that is a crime carrying severe penalties, including lengthy terms of imprisonment. Nevertheless I do not doubt that it is genuine respect felt by the individuals in the photograph that dictates their posture, rather than mere prudence.

Congratulations to His Majesty King Vajiralongkorn on the commencement of his reign, which I hope will be long, happy, prosperous and peaceful for him and the peoples of Thailand alike. And thanks to Ethiomonarchist for keeping us up-to-date on events. Next question; who will be the new Crown Prince? The King has five sons altogether, but only the youngest, Prince Dipangkorn, was born legitimate. I'm not sure though whether that counts for much in Thailand.

However since the four elder sons were all stripped of royal titles after their parents' acrimonious breakup I expect that at eleven years old Prince Dipangkorn is the most likely candidate. There was a similar break-up between the then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and Dipangkorn's mother two years ago, but to date Dipangkorn's own royal status has not been altered.

The person in front is actually sitting. On a chair, yet. I presume that was allowed because he is a) 96 years old and b) the former Regent. I don't know whether the varying postures of the others are due to relative precedence or relative infirmity, but they make an interesting study. I make it five more altogether (the ones at the back are in a bit of a dogpile, or at least the photo makes it look so, and it was only after careful scrutiny that I decided five rather than four). The second person is in floor-cleaning position as you say. Nos. 3. 4, 5 and 6, who are about level with each other, include two flat on face, one with upper body raised a bit and looking at the King, or possibly the back of no. 1's chair, and one with upper body raised a bit less and intently studying the floor.

It could be worse. Flat on face used to be the unvarying rule, and was required before all high-status persons, not just the monarch. King Chulalongkorn abolished that along with many other and more significant reforms he accomplished during his long reign, but evidently not for those appearing before himself and his successors. He probably couldn't have done had he wished, profound reverence for the person of the King goes back long before the previous reign. Anyway it's the custom, and not harmful except perhaps to the knees of trousers, so I wouldn't mock or decry it.

This is the correct way for Thai subjects to approach members of their royal family not just the King. Here is a photograph of the former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in conversation with Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Here are some school children greeting the late king.

Here is a picture of the late King with Queen Sirikit out in public with some military officers.

And Queen Sirikit receiving a respectful subject

Prostration before royalty was normal in Asian and African monarchies. There were various forms that this took, but the westernized forms of respect such as curtseys and bows from the neck are only recently taking their place. Indeed in Thailand and India it is not uncommon for children to kiss their parents feet in respectful greating. In very traditional Ethiopian homes, it is the feet or the knees that are kissed. People still reserve this greeting in Ethiopia for Bishops, only clergy kiss a bishop's hand, but even clergy will insist on kissing a bishops knee or foot. A bow from the neck is considered proper for a man greeting the British Queen, but for a man to greet the Emperor of Ethiopia with less than a profound bow from the waist would have been considered extreme arrogance.

People rushing to kiss the Emperor's feet as he returns to Addis Ababa from Exile in 1941.

Such greetings may seem silly to westerners, but it is to us easterners as important and as correct as a proper curtsey is to you. Imagine how it felt to see Mrs. Blair minimize her curtsey to the royals because it was "silly", and you'll know how it feels to me to hear this form reverence to the legitimate monarch of an ancient monarchy as appearing silly.__________________The Lion of Judah hath prevailed.

Ethiopia stretches her hands unto God (Quote from Psalm 68 which served as the Imperial Motto of the Ethiopian Empire)

"God and history shall remember your judgment." (Quote from Emperor Haile Selassie I's speech to the League of Nations to plead for assistance against the Italian Invasion, 1936.)

I think that the outright flat faced kneeling at least looks better. The posture of sitting on one's knees does make one seem a bit like a child given time out, but the first image really does make it seem like the person's fallen over and can't get up. It doesn't strike an image of respect in mind as much as making me imagine a comedic accident that occured just before the picture was taken.

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